1. On Campus Conflicts & Bullying Mediation & Conflict Resolution

2. Bullying - Defined  Bullying: unlike isolated conflicts between individuals, occurs when a student or group of students targets an individual repeatedly over time, using physical or psychological aggression to dominate the victim  Bullying is:  Repeated  Intentional  Used to create an imbalance of power

3. Why is it important to study bullying?  The effects of bullying can be both short-term and long-term.  Short-term effects for targets; lower self-esteem, depression, illness, absenteeism  Long-term effects for targets; severe depression, suicidal ideation, self-destructive behavior, suicide  Bullying impacts the target, the bully and the bystanders.  Bullies escalate aggression in adolescence and adulthood.

4. Bullying: Myth or Fact? Bullying is a “normal” part of the school experience: FALSE Bullies have low self-esteem: FALSE Victims of bullying need to stand up for themselves: FALSE Bullying mostly involves physical violence: FALSE

5. Identifying a Bully Look for the following characteristics: - regularly engages in hurtful teasing, name calling, intimidation - sense of superiority - does not express empathy - desire to overpower or control others

6. Frequent Targets of Bullying Passive Personalities: - quiet - sensitive - insecure - physically weaker than peers - associates with adults “Provocative” Personalities: - persons with ADD, ADHD - easily angered - clumsy - immature or developmentally delayed

8. Types of Bullying - Direct  Physical: hitting kicking shoving spitting property destruction physical restraint unwanted sexual contact  Verbal: taunting teasing name calling degrading comments  Nonverbal: threatening gestures obscene gestures spatial invasion staring

9. Types of Bullying – Non Direct  Physical Getting another person to assault someone  Verbal Spreading rumors about a person but hiding that you are the source  Nonverbal Deliberate exclusion from a group or an activity

10. Cyberbullying - Defined  Cyberbullying : the use of technology to intensify bullying  Technology: personal websites, blogs, e-mail, chat groups, message boards, IM, text messaging  Cyberbullies:  Target may know them, or may be a stranger / anonymous  May enlist the aid of others, including online “friends”  Subject Matter:  Continuation of, or retaliation to in-school bullying  Related to fights about relationships  Based on hate or bias  Some see cyber-bullying as a game

11. Cyberbullying - Types  Types of Cyberbullying :  Flaming. Angry, rude arguments  Harassment. Repeatedly sending offensive messages via text, IM, etc  Denigration. Insulting someone online by spreading rumors, sharing embarrassing images, or posting false information  Outing and trickery. Disseminating intimate private information or tricking someone into disclosing private information, which is then disseminated  Impersonation. Pretending to be someone else and posting material to damage that person's reputation  Exclusion. Intentionally excluding someone from an online group  Cyberstalking. Creating fear by sending offensive messages and engaging in threatening activity

12. The Harms of Cyberbullying  Harm: Cyberbullying can cause great emotional harm  Communications can occur 24/7  Damaging material can be disseminated quickly and widely; is impossible to fully remove  Teens are reluctant to tell adults for fear they will be restricted from online activities or the cyberbully will retaliate  Cyberbully can hide online, and be anonymous  Cyberbullying can lead to youth suicide and violence  Warning Signs:  Sadness or anger during or after internet use  Withdrawal from friends and activities, school avoidance  Decline of grades  Depression

13. Discussion: Tyler Clementi  Tyler Clementi, 18YO freshman at Rutgers University in NJ  Dorm roommate Dharun Ravi and hallmate Molly Wei used webcams in their rooms (without his knowledge) to watch Clementi kissing another man  9/20/2010: Ravi posted on Twitter “Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.”  9/21/2010: Ravi sent text messages about planning a second webcam viewing party. Pointed his webcam to Clementi’s bed.  9/22/2010: Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge. Body found 9/29/2010.  Ravi and Wei indicted for roles in webcam incidents, but not charged in suicide  Ravi sentenced to 30 days in jail, 3 years probation, 300 hours of community service, a $10,000 fine, and counseling on cyberbullying and alternate lifestyles  Ravi released from jail after 20 days of his sentence

15. Actions, Steps and Options  Do NOT retaliate. Instead:  Calmly and strongly tell them to stop  Ask that the harmful material be removed  File a complaint with ISP, phone company, social media company  Save the evidence  Identify the cyberbully or group of bullies; you can ask your ISP for help  Ask the school for help  Contact an attorney to send a letter or file a lawsuit against the cyberbully (or their parents)  Contact the police if the cyberbullying involves threats of violence, coercion, intimidation based on hate or bias, or any form of sexual exploitation

16. For Next Class:  Guest Presentation, GSU Office of the Ombudsperson  Web address: http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwombhttp://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwomb  “Our goal is to foster a cohesive sense of community by being an advocate for fair and equitable treatment for faculty, staff and students. We help to:  Support individuals’ capacities and responsibilities for making decisions about their lives  Foster an environment of mutual respect and cooperation  Lend support for developing the use of understanding rather than power as a basis for resolving conflicts and disputes”